Anchor for dental implants and device for the alignment of the anchor

ABSTRACT

An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connected with an implant includes a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant and a connecting piece supported on the mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, the mounting part including a partial spherical space which accommodates the connection piece. The partial spherical space has a partial spherical wall, the mounting part further including a threaded pasage and a threaded member threaded in the threaded passage and fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition.

The invention relates to an anchor for prosthetic supraconstructionswhich anchor can be connected with an implant, as well as to anapparatus for aligning the anchor and to a supraconstruction, which canbe connected with the anchor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For anchoring dental prostheses, spheres, crowns or similar anchoringheads are used, which are screwed directly into the implant, which isprovided at its upper side with a coaxial connecting borehole withinternal thread and are aligned coaxially with the implant. If, forreasons specific to a jaw, the implants for supporting dental prosthesescannot be aligned axially parallel to one another, compensatory measuremust be taken and compensatory means used, in order to ensure that theprosthesis is seated satisfactorily and/or handled precisely when put inplace and when removed. For this purpose, attachments between alldiverging units are used in the case of fixed supraconstructions,whereas, for removable constructions, special secondary crown parts areused which have to be made especially and, after being put in place ontheir associated primary crowns, must compensate for their divergences.Because of the individual adaptation, such compensatory measures andmeans are exceptionally labor-intensive and costly and, moreover,represent a burden for the patient because of the frequency of theappointments that are necessary. Furthermore, in the case ofattachments, there are always microgaps which permit movements which,from the point of view of a firm support for the implant, areundesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to simplify the compensatory measuresand means required to correct the necessarily diverging alignment ofimplants in the jaw and, with that, to shorten the time required forsuch measures and means and to make them less expensive.

The inventive adapter, which can be premanufactured industrially,provides an exceedingly simple possibility for the desired alignment ofan anchoring head, independently of the alignment of an implant, andmakes attachments and individually manufactured secondary crown partssuperfluous. The alignment can be made exceedingly rapidly and, at thesame time, precisely with the help of the inventive aligning device as aresult of which the burden on the patient is reduced to one appointment.The inventive supraconstruction, in turn, can be premanufacturedindustrially and can be handled less expensively and more easily,because time-consuming dental measurements do not have to be made.

Numerous further advantages and details arise out of the followingdescription and the drawing, in which an example of the object of theinvention is illustrated in greater detail.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an inventive adapter, inserted in an implant, inlongitudinal section,

FIG. 2 shows a representation similar to that of FIG. 1, with a fixedconnection piece,

FIG. 3 shows an individual representation of the implant in a sectionalong the line III--III of FIG. 4,

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a representation of the adapter in a section along the lineV--V of FIG. 6,

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 shows a representation of ball head part, which can be connectedwith the adapter of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 shows a representation of a crown head part, which can beconnected with the adapter of FIG. 5,

FIG. 9 shows a truncated view of a drill for drilling a fixing hole inthe connection piece of the adapter,

FIGS. 10a and 10b show views of fixing screws for fixing the connectionpiece in the mounting of the adapter,

FIG. 11 shows a representation of the inventive aligning device,

FIG. 12 shows an individual representation of an aligning element of thealigning device of FIG. 11 in longitudinal section,

FIG. 13 shows a truncated plan view of FIG. 12,

FIG. 14 shows a view of an aligning pin, which can be connected with theconnection piece of the adapter and acts together with an aligningelement,

FIG. 15 shows a representation of the adjusting nut in section along theline XV--XV of FIG. 16,

FIG. 16 shows a plan view of FIG. 15,

FIG. 17 shows a side view of the clamping sleeve of the aligning elementof FIG. 12 in a single representation,

FIG. 18 shows a section through the clamping sleeve along the lineXVIII--XVIII of FIG. 19,

FIG. 19 shows a plan view of FIG. 18,

FIG. 20 shows a side view of the aligning element bushing with theexternal thread of FIG. 12,

FIG. 21 shows a section through the bushing with the external threadalong the line XXI--XXI in FIG. 22,

FIG. 22 a plan view of FIG. 21,

FIG. 23 shows a plan view of the lower parallelizing body of thealigning element of FIG. 12,

FIG. 24 shows a section along the line XXIV--XXIV of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 shows a view of the upper parallelizing body of the aligningelement of FIG. 12 from below,

FIG. 26 shows a section along the line XXVI--XXVI of FIG. 25,

FIG. 27 shows a plan view of an aligning template of the aligning deviceof FIG. 11,

FIG. 28 shows a section along the line XXVIII--XVIII of FIG. 27,

FIGS. 29 and 30 show side views of the handle part of the aligningtemplate of FIG. 27, and

FIGS. 31 and 32 show views of a modified aligning template, and

FIG. 33 shows a diagrammatic representation of an inventivesupraconstruction in a diagrammatic side view of the lower row of teethof a final set of teeth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The anchor shown in the drawing for prosthetic supraconstructions, suchas dental prostheses, consists essentially of an adapter 1, whichcomprises an mounting 4, which can be screwed by means of a pin 3 withan external thread into an implant 2, and a connection piece 5, which issupported alignably in the mounting 4, and of an anchor head part 6 fordental prostheses, which can be connected with the connection piece 5and can be constructed as a ball head part 6 or as a crown head part orcone head part 7, formed from an occlusion screw 8 and a cone cap 9, ormay have any other convenient construction. In each case, the anchorhead part 6, 7 can be screwed by means of the externally threaded pin 10or 11 into the connection piece 5 of the adapter 1.

The mounting 4 has a spherical space 12, for accommodating theconnection piece 5 and comprises a lateral sunk borehole 13 withinternal thread, which has an pointedly conical bottom 14 intersectingin regions with the wall of the accommodating space 12. The imaginarypoint of the bottom 14 of the sunk borehole 13 lies in the sphericalaccommodating space 12. as shown in FIG. 2. which reproduces a fixingscrew 15, which is screwed into the sunk borehole 13 and has a pointedlyconical end 16, which can be placed flush against the bottom 14 of thesunk borehole 13 and the point 17 of which coincides with the imaginarypoint of the bottom 14 of the sunk borehole 13. Alternatively, insteadof a fixing screw 15 with an internal hexagonal head, a fixing screw 115with a wrench shoulder 118, which can be broken off at a predeterminedbreaking plane, can also be used. After the break surface is ground andpolished, such a fixing screw 115 (FIG. 10b) which, with regard to theend part 116 with the point 117, corresponds to the internal hexagonalhead version 15 (FIG. 10a), occupies the sunk borehole completely.

The connection piece 5 has the outer shape of a spherical segment and isprovided with a connecting borehole 18 with internal thread, the axis ofwhich extends perpendicular to the sectional plane 19. The connectionpiece 5 is supported in the mounting 4, in which it can be shifted to alimited extent in all directions, and is fixed by the fixing screw 15 inthe desired alignment of its axis to the axis 20 of the implant 2. Theconnection piece 5, more than half of which is accommodated in themounting 4, can be pressed into the mounting 4, so as to lock into placethere. However, the possibility also exists of reshaping the upper edgeregion of the accommodating space 12 inwards after the connection piece5 is introduced into this space, in order to fix the connection piece 5in the mounting 4.

As soon as the connection piece 5 assumes its desired position by meansof an aligning process, the details of which will be described below,the connection piece 5 is drilled open with the help of a drill 21 witha pointedly conical drilling head 22, which is introduced through thesunk borehole 13. That part of the pointedly conical bottom 14 of thesunk borehole 13, which intersects with the wall of the accommodatingspace 12, is drilled out in this connection piece 5. The shoulder 23 atthe drill 21 ensures the exact drilling depth, which is reached, whenthe shoulder 23 lies against the outer surface 24 of the mounting 4,which surrounds the sunk borehole 13. After the drill 21 is removed andthe fixing screw 15 is screwed in, the pointedly conical end 16 of thefixing screw 15 comes into contact with the bottom 14 of the sunkborehole 13 and of the corresponding drilled-out part in the connectionpiece 5, with the consequence that this connection piece 5 is fixedprecisely in the aligned position.

To facilitate the alignment process, the inventive aligning device 25,shown in FIG. 11, is used. In FIG. 11, the inventive alignment device 25is illustrated in use with two adapter devices 1 in the implant 2.However, it can also be used with more than two adapter devices intendedfor the common support of a dental prosthesis. The implants 2 areillustrated with mutually diverging axes 20 in the space. Anchor headparts 6 or 7, screwed directly into the implants 2, would assume analignment, for which their axis coincides with the axis 20 of theimplant 2.

Parallel alignment of the anchor head parts 6, 7, which together supporta dental prosthesis, is optimum for the seating and the handling of adental prosthesis. In order to achieve such an alignment, aligning pins26 (FIG. 14) are first of all screwed into the connecting boreholes 18of the connecting pieces 5 and, moreover, at a time, at which theconnecting piece 5 in the mountings 4 of the adapter 1 have notexperienced any alignment or fixation yet. After that, an alignmentelement 27 of the aligning device 25 is placed on each aligning pin 26and the aligning elements 27 are aligned and fixed at an aligningtemplate 28 of the aligning device 25, as a result of which all aligningpins 26 are aligned axially parallel to one another. At the same time,the aligning pins 26 are fixed in the clamping sleeve, which iscompressed in the region of its lower end by the clamping process. Afterthat, a hole is drilled into the connection pieces 5 in the adapters 1with the drill 21 and the fixing screws 15 are inserted, after which thealigning process for the connection pieces 5 is concluded. The aligningdevice 25 is then taken off and, after removal of the aligning pins 26,anchor head parts 6 or 7 are screwed into the connection pieces 5, bymeans of which anchors are now formed, the head parts of which arealigned precisely with one another with parallel axes.

The embodiment of an aligning template 28, shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, hasan arc-shaped flat configuration, which approximately follows the courseof a jaw and is provided at least in its side regions 29. 30 with anadvantageously central longitudinal slot 31 or 32. The upper side 33 andunderside 34 of the aligning template 28 are mutually parallel aligningsurfaces, at which, at selectable positions arising from the positionsof the adapters 1 in the jaw, the aligning elements 27 of the aligningdevice 25 can be aligned and clamped.

The aligning template 28 consists of two halves, which are hingedtogether and can be swiveled to fit the course of the jaw.

The half parts 29, 30 of the aligning template 28 are hinged to a handle35, by means of a pin 36, which defines a common swiveling axis and,moreover, presses the parts 29, 30 against one another, in order todefine a resistance to change. Instead of a common hinge connection withthe handle 35 for the two half parts 29, 30 of the aligning template 28,there is also the possibility of mounting the parts 29, 30 in each caseseparately from one another on a handle provided with an elongated hole.In the latter case, the half parts 29, 30 advisably are supported in theregion, in which they are connected with the handle, so that they can bemoved along the elongated hole. Instead of the arc-shaped constructionof the aligning template 28, the latter can also have the configurationof FIGS. 31 and 32, in the case of which a straight slot 37 for aligningthe connection pieces 5 by not more than two anchors is provided in astraight base 38 with a handle 38'.

In particular, the aligning elements 27 of the aligning device 25comprise a lower parallelizing part 39, which can be aligned with itsupper side at the underside 34 of the aligning template 28, and an upperparallelizing part 40, which can be aligned with its underside at theupper side 33 of the aligning template 28. A clamping sleeve 41, slottedin the lower part, into which the aligning pin 26 can be introduced frombelow and clamped precisely, penetrates the two parallelizing parts 39,40. The clamping sleeve 41 has a lower end 42, which is constructed as astop for the lower parallelizing part 39, is constructed advisably as aconical expansion and accordingly exerts a centering effect. Inparticular, however, when the adjusting nut 45 is tightened, the conicalexpansion 42 leads to a decrease in cross section in the region of theslotted sleeve part, by means of which the aligning pin is fixed.

A bushing 43, with an external thread, is mounted so that it cannotrotate on the clamping sleeve 41 in the region above the upperparallelizing part 40. It is secured by means of a retaining ring 44against being pulled off in the axial direction. An adjusting nut 45 canbe screwed onto this external thread of the bushing 43. In the course ofbeing screwed on, the adjusting nut 45 comes to lie with its underside46 on the upper side of the upper parallelizing part 40 and, in sodoing, clamps the parts 39, 40 and 43, as well as 26 and 41 together.Advisably, the adjusting nut 45 is constructed as a knurled-head nut andthus can be actuated by hand.

The clamping sleeve 41 is provided with external longitudinally-alignedstop springs 47, in order to support the parts 40 and 43 and,optionally, also 39, so that they cannot rotate or twist on the clampingsleeve 41. For this purpose, the parts 40, 43 and 39 are provided withappropriate locking grooves 48, 49 and 50. However, for the embodimentof the clamping sleeve 41 shown, the length of the stop springs 47 issuch that the lower parallelizing part 39 is supported so that it canrotate or twist freely on the clamping sleeve.

The upper parallelizing part 40 of the aligning element 27 has a centralshoulder 51, which protrudes downwards into the longitudinal slot 31 or32 of the aligning template 28 and which has an extended, elongatedhole-like peripheral contour and, in the direction of its longitudinalextent, a length, which exceeds the width of the longitudinal slot 31 or32 in the aligning template. This makes it possible to place theshoulder 51, during the aligning process, against the bounding surfacesof the associated elongated slot 31 or 32 and to secure it againstfurther rotation or twisting

With the help of the above-described aligning device, the parallelalignment of the connection pieces 5 which, after being fixed by meansof the fixing screws 15 and after the anchoring head parts 6 and 7 arescrewed in, give the latter the desired parallel alignment, can bebrought about exceeding rapidly and precisely.

An industrially premanufactured inventive supraconstruction can bemounted on the parallel aligned connection pieces, as shown in FIG. 33.The supraconstruction 40, which is illustrated, is constructed of 5elements; however, it can have any number of elements between 3 and 14.For the example shown, it is a component of the lower row of teeth 41 ofa final set of teeth, which is illustrated in side view and theocclusion plane of which is indicated at 42. The supraconstruction 40shown is a construction that is permanently connected with anchor headparts 7. It may also, however, have a removable construction.

The tooth elements 43 of the supraconstruction 40 are provided withreceptacles in the form of conical boreholes 44, the center axes ofwhich are aligned parallel to one another and perpendicularly to theocclusion plane 42. This construction simplifies the handling for thedentist and the dental technician. Because they are manufacturedindustrially, the conical crowns can be produced to fit accurately andto be advantageously priced. The expensive dental measurements becomesuperfluous and the number of sessions with the patient are reduced.

I claim:
 1. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connected with an implant comprising a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant, a connecting piece supported on said mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, said mounting part including a partial spherical space which accommodates the connection piece, said partial spherical space having a partial spherical wall, said mounting part further including a threaded passage and a threaded member threaded in said threaded passage and fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition.
 2. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connected with an implant comprising a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant, a connecting piece supported on said mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, said mounting means including a threaded passage, a threaded member threaded in said threaded passage, said threaded member having an operable position fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition, said mounting part including a partial spherical space having an internal spherical surface, said connecting piece including a partial spherical portion having an external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being received in said partial spherical space with said internal spherical surface mating with said external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being precluded from moving relative to said partial spherical space when said threaded member is in said operable position.
 3. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connected with an implant comprising a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant, a connecting piece supported on said mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, said mounting part including a partial spherical space which accommodates the connection piece, said partial spherical space having a partial spherical wall, said mounting part further including a threaded lateral passage, said passage having a conical end portion which intersects said spherical wall, and fixing means fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition, said fixing means including a threaded member in said passage.
 4. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure according to claim 3 wherein said conical end portion has an imaginary apex which is disposed within said partial spherical space.
 5. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure according to claim 3 wherein said threaded member has a conical end section which is adapted to be disposed substantially flush with the conical end portion of said passage.
 6. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure according to claim 3 wherein said connecting piece has a spherical portion received in said spherical space of said mounting part, said spherical portion having a threaded passageway which threadedly receives said anchor head of said dental prosthesis.
 7. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connect ed with an implant comprising a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant, a connecting piece supported on said mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, and fixing means having a first operable position and a second operable position, said fixing means when in said first operable position permitting relative movement between said connecting piece and said mounting part, said fixing means when in said second operable position fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition, said mounting part including a partial spherical space having an internal spherical surface, said connecting piece including a partial spherical portion having an external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being received in said partial spherical space with said internal spherical surface mating with said external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being moveable in said partial spherical space when said fixing means is in said first operable position, said partial spherical portion being precluded from moving relative to said partial spherical space when said fixing means is in said second operable position, said fixing means including a threaded passage in said mounting piece and a threaded member in said threaded passage, said threaded passage opening up into said partial spherical space, said threaded member engaging said partial spherical portion of said connecting piece when said fixing means is in said second operable position.
 8. An anchor for a prosthetic superstructure which can be connected with an implant comprising a mounting part having threads engageable with the implant, a connecting piece supported on said mounting part for connecting with an anchor head for a dental prosthesis, and fixing means having a first operable position and a second operable position, said fixing means when in said first operable position permitting relative movement between said connecting piece and said mounting part, said fixing means when in said second operable position fixing the connecting piece on the mounting part in an aligned disposition, said mounting part including a partial spherical space having an internal spherical surface, said connecting piece including a partial spherical portion having an external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being received in said partial spherical space with said internal spherical surface mating with said external spherical surface, said partial spherical portion being moveable in said partial spherical space when said fixing means is in said first operable position, said partial spherical portion being precluded from moving relative to said partial spherical space when said fixing means is in said second operable position, said partial spherical space being greater than a hemispherical space to thereby retain said partial spherical portion of said connecting piece in said partial spherical space.
 9. Aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality of connecting pieces in which each connecting piece is supported on a mounting part and each mounting part is supported on a dental implant comprising a generally flat aligning template having at least one slot, said template having upper and lower parallel aligning surfaces, an aligning structure engageable with said upper and lower aligning surfaces, said aligning structure including an aligning pin supported on each of said connecting pieces, said aligning pin extending through said at least one slot, said aligning structure being operable to align said aligning pins generally parallel to one another, said aligning template comprising two arc-shaped halves which are generally shaped like a person's jaw, and pivot means pivotable connecting said two arc-shaped halves.
 10. Aligning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said pivot means includes a handle, said handle being moveable relative to said two arc-shaped halves.
 11. Aligning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said pivot means includes a clamping sleeve disposed about a swiveling pin and an externally threaded bushing mounted on said clamping sleeve to preclude relative rotary movement between said bushing and said clamping sleeve, and an adjustable nut threadedly engaging said externally threaded bushing.
 12. Aligning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said template has two of said slots, said two slots each being elongate slots, each of said two arc-shaped halves having one of said slots.
 13. Aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality of connecting pieces in which each connecting piece is supported on a mounting part and each mounting part is supported on a dental implant comprising a generally flat aligning template having at least one slot, said template having upper and lower parallel aligning surfaces, an aligning structure engageable with said upper and lower aligning surfaces, said aligning structure including an aligning pin supported on each of said connecting pieces, said aligning pin extending through said at least one slot, said aligning structure being operable to align said aligning pins generally parallel to one another, said aligning structure comprising a lower parallelizing part having an upper side disposable in an aligning position in which said upper side of said lower parallelizing part abuts said lower side of said aligning template in a parallel relationship, said aligning structure comprising an upper parallelizing part having a lower side disposable in an aligning position in which said lower side of said upper parallelizing part abuts said upper side of said aligning template in a parallel relationship, a clamping sleeve extending into said upper and lower parallelizing parts, said aligning pins being disposed in said clamping sleeve, and clamping means for clamping said upper and lower paralielizing parts in said respective aligned positions.
 14. Aligning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said upper parallelizing part has a central lower projection which projects into said slot in said aligning template, said upper parallelizing part having an upper part having a width in a direction parallel to said aligning template, said slot having a width less than the width of said upper part of said upper parallelizing part.
 15. Aligning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said clamping sleeve has a lower longitudinal end portion formed as a stop, said stop being engageable with said lower parallelizing part.
 16. Aligning apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said stop has a conical configuration.
 17. Aligning apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said clamping sleeve is provided with partial longitudinal slots which open up to the lower longitudinal end portion of the clamping sleeve.
 18. Aligning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said clamping sleeve and said upper and lower parallelizing parts have locking portions which preclude relative rotation between the clamping sleeve and the upper and lower parallelizing parts.
 19. Aligning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said clamping sleeve has longitudinally aligned projections, said upper and lower parallelizing parts having longitudinally extending grooves which receive said projections to thereby preclude relative rotation between said clamping sleeve and said upper and lower parallelizing parts.
 20. Aligning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said aligning pins have axes which are generally parallel to one another when said upper and lower parallelizing parts are in said aligned position.
 21. A method of aligning a plurality of connecting pieces which are mounted on mounting parts fixed to dental implants comprising the steps of:mounting each connecting piece on a mounting part such that each connecting piece is moveable relative to the mounting part; providing a flat template having a slot; adjusting the positioning of said template by providing said template in two relatively moveable halves, adjusting said two halves to an adjusted position and securing said two halves in said adjusted position; mounting elongated mounting pins on each of said connecting pieces such that said mounting pins extend through said slot in said template. 